1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a keyboard apparatus available for a surveillance system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up until now, there have been proposed a wide variety of conventional keyboard apparatuses suitable for controlling and operating a surveillance system.
The conventional keyboard apparatuses of this type have so far been used for such a surveillance system available for watching unqualified people and other intruders intrude into a special room which does not permit people with any permission from entering. One typical example of the conventional keyboard apparatuses is shown in FIG. 10 as being provided in combination with a prior-art surveillance system 700 which comprises a camera unit 710, a display unit 730 for displaying an image taken by the camera unit 710, and a control unit 740 for controlling the operation of the camera unit 710 in response to operation commands inputted therein.
Description will now be made on how the image taken by the camera unit 710 is displayed on the screen of the display unit 730.
When the camera unit 710 is operated to take an image to be displayed on the screen of the display unit 730, the camera unit 710 is firstly driven by the control unit 740 to transform the image into an image signal outputted to a signal transmitting cable 701. The image signal thus outputted to the signal transmitting cable 701 is then transmitted to a system unit 720 before being inputted to the display unit 730.
The image signal is then transformed into an image to be displayed on the screen of the display unit 730.
In order to have the camera unit 710 operated by the operation commands of the control unit 740 to photograph an image, the control unit 740 is operated to receive the operation commands respectively indicative of the photographing directions, magnifications and the like inputted by an operator while he or she is watching the screen of the display unit 730. The control unit 740 inputted with the operation commands is then operated to transform the operation commands into a command signal to be transmitted to a signal transmitting cable 703. The command signal thus transmitted to the signal transmitting cable 703 is then inputted to the system unit 720 where the command signal is then transformed into a drive signal to drive the camera unit 710 to be outputted to the camera unit 710 by way of the signal transmitting cable 701. The camera unit 710 thus received the drive signal from the system unit 720 is at this time operated to change the photographing directions, magnifications and the like into new ones.
As will be seen from the above, there has been described only one camera unit 710 provided in combination with the system unit 720, the display unit 730, the control unit 740 in the conventional surveillance system for the purpose of simplifying the description and assisting in understanding about the whole operation of the surveillance system.
In reality, such a conventional surveillance system 800, however, is as shown in FIG. 11 to comprise a plurality of camera units 810, a system unit 820, a plurality of display units 830, and a plurality of control units 840. The conventional surveillance system 800 thus constructed allows an operator to selectively operate those control units 840 to input to control units 840 operation commands indicative of selecting one or more camera units 810 and one or more display units 830. This leads to the fact that the operator can select one or more control units 840 not only to have the image displayed on the screen of one or more display units 830 in accordance with the image taken by one or more selected camera units 810 but to operate the camera units 810 under the operation states optioned by the operator.
Here, as the control unit 840 forming part of the conventional surveillance system is used a CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) type of keyboard apparatus which is hereinafter referred simply to xe2x80x9ca keyboard apparatusxe2x80x9d. The keyboard apparatus used heretofore is generally designed to have various command signals inputted therein in response to a wide variety of functions introduced thereinto in recent years other than the functions such as for example a command signal indicative of an operation command to drive a camera and other command signals indicative of operation commands to select and operate any desired camera and displaying units. In general, the keyboard apparatus comprises a plurality of keys including a SHIFT key, an ALT key and other function keys which are combined with other keys to be put in practical use to enable various kinds of operation command to be inputted therein.
Through the repeated use by the operators of the keyboard apparatus thus constructed, the operators have found it necessary that additional functions related to the command signals be assigned to additional new keys, respectively, while unnecessary keys be forced to be ineffective. Further, it has been found that there is a strong needs to dispose keys at respective desirable positions on the keyboard depending upon the operators"" request for facilitating the operability of the keys frequently used, or in compliance with the needs by either right-handed or left-handed operator. To meet the operators"" needs, there has been developed one of the prior-art keyboard apparatuses which comprises a display unit accommodated in each of the keys to display the respective letters of the keys changed in their positions by a desired software to ensure that the additional functions related to the command signals are assigned to additional new keys, respectively, unnecessary keys are forced to be ineffective, and the keys are disposed at respective desirable positions.
However, the conventional keyboard apparatus encounters such a problem that the conventional keyboard apparatus is complicated in structure and thus high in production cost, resulting from being required to have a display unit accommodated in each of the keys to display the respective letters of the keys changed in their positions.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a keyboard apparatus which facilitates to change the operability of the keys frequently used for right-handed and left-handed operators.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a keyboard apparatus which ensure that the additional functions related to the command signals are assigned to additional new keys, respectively, unnecessary keys are forced to be ineffective, and the keys are disposed at respective desirable positions.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard apparatus for controlling and operating at least one exterior appliance, comprising; a key retainer; a plurality of keys each operatively arranged on said key retainer to perform a key-pushed action and a key-released action, each of said keys being operative to input a signal indicative of the key-pushed action and including a key holder and a key top mounted on the key holder; key holder signal inputting means for inputting a key holder signal indicative of said key-pushed action of each of said keys when said key holder is operated and moved to perform said key-pushed action, said key code signal inputting means including a plurality of numerical keys; information recording means for recording specific relevant information between the key holder signal inputted by said key holder signal inputting means and said key code signal inputted by said key code signal inputting means; signal processing means for receiving and processing said key holder signal from said key holder signal inputting means and said key code signal from said key code signal inputting means, and said signal processing means being operative to selectively assume two different operation states consisting of a first operation state under which the specific relevant information is formed based on said inputted key holder signal and said inputted key code signal to be recorded in said information recording means and a second operation state under which said key code signal is prepared in response to said key holder signal from said key holder signal inputting means in accordance to said specific relevant information recorded in said information recording means and then is outputted to said exterior appliance; and, state setting means for selectively setting said first and second operation states by operating at least one specific key selected from among said keys.
The key holder of the key may have an own key code, and the key top of the key has an own letter indicated thereon, the key top being changeable on the basis of the key code changed.
The letters may include alphabets and numbers.
The keyboard apparatus may further comprise a display unit for displaying the specific relevant information between the key holder signal and the key code signal formed when the specific key is brought into the key-pushed action.
The key code signal inputting means may include a plurality of numerical keys including a key holder, and a key top securely mounted on the key holder.
The state setting means may include a first operation state holding key for allowing the signal processing means to assume the first operation state, and a second operation state holding key for allowing the signal processing means to assume the second operation state, each of the first and second operation state holding keys including a key holder, and a key top securely mounted on the key holder.
The information recording means may be operated by the exterior appliance to record therein the specific relevant information between the key holder signal and the key code signal.
The keyboard apparatus may further comprise a first area having a plurality of non-numerical keys arranged therein and a second area having a plurality of numerical keys arranged therein, the key top of each of the non-numerical keys detachably mounted on the key holder of each of the numerical keys to constitute the key holder signal inputting means while the key top of each of the numerical keys being securely mounted on the key holder of each of the numerical keys to collectively constitute the key code signal inputting means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a keyboard apparatus for controlling and operating at least one exterior appliance, comprising: a key retainer; a plurality of first and second keys each operatively arranged on the key retainer to perform a key-pushed action and a key-released action, each of the first keys being operative to input a first signal indicative of the key-pushed action of each of the first keys and each including a key holder, and a key top mounted on the key holder, and each of the second keys being operative to input a second signal indicative of the key-pushed action of each of the second keys and each including a key holder, and a key top mounted on the key holder; first signal inputting means for inputting a first signal indicative of the key-pushed action of each of the first keys when each of the first keys is operated and moved to perform the key-pushed action; second signal inputting means for inputting a second signal indicative of the key-pushed action of each of the second keys when each of the second keys is operated and moved to perform the key-pushed action; information recording means for recording specific relevant information between the first signal inputted from the first signal inputting means and the second signal inputted from the second signal inputting means, the specific relevant information being formed by at least one specific second key selected from among the second keys and brought into the key-pushed action; signal processing means for receiving and processing the first signal from the first signal inputting means and the second signal from the second signal inputting means, the signal processing means being operative to selectively assume two different operation states consisting of a first operation state under which the specific relevant information is recorded by the information recording means in accordance with the first signal inputted by the first signal inputting means and the second signal inputted by the second signal inputting means, and a second operation state under which the second signal in response to the first signal from the first signal inputting means is outputted to the exterior appliance in accordance to the specific relevant information recorded by the information recording means; and state setting means for selectively setting the first and second operation states.
The key holder of each of the first keys may have an own key code represented by the first signal, and the key top of each of the first keys has own letters indicated thereon, the key top being changeable on the basis of the key code changed.
The letters may include alphabets and numbers.
The keyboard apparatus may further comprise a display unit for displaying the specific relevant information between the first signal and the second signal formed when the specific second key is brought into the key-pushed action.
The second signal inputting means may include a plurality of numerical keys including a key holder, and a key top securely mounted on the key holder.
The state setting means may include a first operation state holding key for allowing the signal processing means to assume the first operation state, and a second operation state holding key for allowing the signal processing means to assume the second operation state, each of the first and second operation state holding keys including a key holder, and a key top securely mounted on the key holder.
The information recording means may be operated by the exterior appliance to record therein the specific relevant information between the first signal and the second signal.
The keyboard apparatus may further comprise a first area having the first keys arranged therein and each constituted by a non-numerical key, and a second area having the second keys arranged therein and each constituted by a numerical key, the key top of each of the first keys detachably mounted on the key holder of each of the first keys to constitute the first signal inputting means while the key top of each of the second keys being securely mounted on the key holder of each of the second keys to collectively constitute the second signal inputting means.